What's the most dangerous thing that's happened to you while working?

TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN · Apr 13, 2011

I had a home health patient who was very confused run upstairs in his house to get his gun because he thought I was going to hurt him. I truly have never been more terrified.

ascRN · Apr 13, 2011

Night shifts in the ED. I never personally got hurt but I routinely participated in restraining patients who had injured staff. Usually PCP or some other psych/substance abuse thing.

Aly529 · Apr 13, 2011

I had a home health patient who was very confused run upstairs in his house to get his gun because he thought I was going to hurt him. I truly have never been more terrified.

:eek: I can't blame you. Wow. Glad you're okay.

ascRN- I see where you're coming from. I could not turn my back on those types of patients and feel safe. The effects drugs/substances have on someone make me doubt that they have any common sense left.

merlee · Apr 13, 2011

I was hit by a patient who wanted to leave his room - he was still attached to his IV pole that was clear across the bed, and I was trying to get him to go back to bed.

Lucky for me, he hit me with an open hand and not a closed fist.

Long story short - four people to hold him down and a shot of tranquilizer right thru his clothes.....

Five&Two Will Do · Apr 13, 2011

I was hit by a patient who wanted to leave his room - he was still attached to his IV pole that was clear across the bed, and I was trying to get him to go back to bed.
Lucky for me, he hit me with an open hand and not a closed fist.
Long story short - four people to hold him down and a shot of tranquilizer right thru his clothes.....

That is terrible! It is also the perfect time and place for the 5 and 2, especially right through the clothing. I worked on a psych unit for a while as a CNA and that was definately the tool of choice for the violent patients!

bagladyrn, RN · Apr 13, 2011

Scary moment that happened on one assignment: Multiple shooting victims from both sides of the altercation were brought to the ER. Since no one knew yet if the situation might relocate to the hospital the facility was put on lockdown.

HOWEVER, no one thought to call and inform the OB Dept. First I knew of anything was when a member of law enforcement burst through the back door of OB with rifle in hand.

I've got to admit that my first words were somewhat less than professional - lucky we had no patients at the time....

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2011

Holy Mother! You guys have been through some terrifying ordeals! The scariest thing that has ever happened to me was tripping over suction tubing and tearing my MCL.

Trauma Columnist · Apr 13, 2011

10 years in a level one trauma center ER - nuff said!

RNTOBE_1970 · Apr 13, 2011

Scariest-tornado hitting the hospital and taking part of the roof off(one story facility). Next would be the psychotic 17 year old male that chewed (yes chewed) through leather restraints, and was swinging the buckle end as he paced through unit.

mpccrn, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2011

Hmmm its a toss up. New Years eve got a call from the ICU director that Mrs. So an So died after I left that day and it looked like meningealcocal meningitis and I had to get back to the hospital ASAP for a dose of cipro. Then there was the time there was a shoot out at the hospital between someone trying to break out a federal prisoner and the guards.....one guard died.

BluegrassRN · Apr 13, 2011

Drunk in the DTs came in to ED, punched an ED nurse in the face, had to tazed by the police before they could get close enough to him to restrain him and sedate.

When he came to the floor, he became agitated, and I have more ativan. As we were undressing him, a HUGE pocket knife with a curved, partially serrated blade fell out of his pants. Thank goodness he didn't have the frame of mind to remember he had that with him, or it could have gotten very ugly in the ED and upon admission.

Another time I was going through a suicidal, homeless man's belongings. I had on gloves, and I was holding the trashbag open and reaching into it. By pure luck, I grabbed the barrel of a syringe with an uncapped needle. When I asked him what that was for, he told me that he and all his friends use it to inject whatever they can. Holy crap. From now on, if I'm going through belongings, I dump them on the floor so that I have a better visual. I totally could have stuck myself on a dirty needle used by half of the homeless guys under the bridge.

I've been punched, kicked, threatened, sent to the ED for films from a kick to the head that made me see stars, but those instances weren't as scary for me as the two I mention above.